Hinge.



w. 0. LE COMPTE;

HINGE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 13. 1910.

1,167,906. Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET lk "Ml" WITIIVESSES: fl/IZENZ? v 1%? W By ATTORNEY W. 6. LE COMPTE.

HINGE. APPLICATION FILED APR. 13, 1910.

Patented J an. 11, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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WITNESSES: W a/z/M ATTORNEY c0.. WASHINGTON D c fl t ED TAE ATE FFEQ.

WILLIAM G. LE COIVIPTE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO J. ODELL FOWLER, OF NEW YORK, N. Y;

HINGE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 11, 1916.

Application and April 13, 1910. Serial No. 555,257.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, lVILL AM G. Ln

tion of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it apper tains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to the articulation of two movable devices, or' of an object to its support, and in particular to an artificial movable joint whereby two'bodies may be connected in such a manner that one maybe turned upon the other and securely held in any desired position, which I call a geared friction hinge, and also to the application of such a device to wind shields. The object of the latter application of the invention'is to provide a wind shield, made in a plurality of sections, which are or-- dinarily glazed, and adapted especially for use in automobiles, which sectional shield" may be firmly sustained in position at any desired angle, and the upper section of which may also be readily folded over so as to lie upon the lower section, and securely held in the said folded position, by means of the use of the said hinge alone.

This invention consists of'a peculiar construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and illustrated in the draw-' ings which accompany and form a part of this specification, and in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a hinge embodying my invention; Fig. 2 is a side view of the same partly insection;

Fig- 2 is a view in section taken on the 1 line 8-8 of Fig. 2; Flg. 3 1s a rear elevatlon Figs. 4, l 5 and 6 are views of the hinge members placed at diflerent angles and in different positions; Figs. 7 and 8 are views of the hinge casing showing the slot formed therein; and Fig. 9 is a view in section of another hinge constructed according to my in ention.

Like letters of reference lndicate like parts in all the views.

The hinge embodying the present invention ordinarily consists of a member A having means by which it may be rotated. and by which friction may be created. preferably comprising a circular or wheel-shaped part .LG, the periphery of which may consist partly of a plain, or even, or smooth face, and partly of a preferably mutilated gear construction, a circular groove K being preferably located therebetween, as is represented in Fig. 9.; or, if desired, the corrugations forming the'gear teeth may extend entirely across the face of the part G, as shown in Fig. 9. The other member E of the hinge ordinarily has a similar means by which it may be rotated, and by which friction may be created, preferably comprising a circular or wheel-shaped part G, the periphery of which may consist partly of a plain, or even, or smooth face, and partly of a preferably mutilated gear construction, a circular groove K being preferably located therebetween, as is represented in Fig. 2;'or', if do sired, the corrugations forming the gear teeth may extend entirely across. the face of the part G, as shown in Fig. 9.

The rotating means of the members A and E may be integral therewith, in the manner the part G is shown in Fig. 2, or it may be mechanically applied thereto by' being screwed or otherwise fastened to the body assembled in a casing or housing B, which is preferably made integral, as by'b'eing cast in solid form, and is ordinarily bored out to form a cavity or dual-concave recesses of such size, shape and contour as to register with the peripheries of the said parts G, G. A bolt C isprefe'rablv'passed through the casing in a transverse direction and serves to clamp the parts together so that the boundaries of the recesses or races so formed will impinge upon and create a friction between the same and the peripheries of the rotatable parts G, G. A somewhat resilient clamping effect may be pro: duccd by the use of a disk or washer C. which maybe lrcated in a concave recess C ofthe casing located beneath the nut of the bolt C. I

A saw-cut 6 maybe made in the casing. as shown in Figs. 7 and 8, and the kerf filled by a strip Z) soldered at each end to the casing withi'n'the slot so formed, by means of which greater flexibility may be given to the wall of the casing so operat d upon. By reason'of the said saw kerf, the portion of the casing adiacent thereto will be-rendered more yielding than the solid part of the casing located at the opposite sideof the gear. Consequently, a greater degree of pressure will be exterted against the side of the gear adjacent to the said saw lrerf than at the opposite side of the screw H.

A section of the glass wind shield 0 may be inserted in and held by each of the memhers A and E by the employment of interiediate means, as an inclosing tube or framework F and intermediate packing A, preferably made of felt.

By means of the construction herein disclosed, the upper section of the wind shield may be positioned at any angle, or, if desired, folded down either frontward or rearward, and the said section will be securely held in any of the above-named positions solely by the friction of the parts, and without the use of any screws or other extraneous fastening or clamping devices which ordinarily ha e to be used for this purpose.

It will be observed that the shell of the casing B is pressed in an inward direction both by the head of the bolt C and also by the heads of the screws H, a washer being interposed in each instance between the said heads and casing. namely the washers C and 72 The screws H pass through the casing and a portion of the gears and are screwed into the remaining portion of the latter;

The bolt C passes through a portion of the casing and the gears and is screwed into the casing 13. The belt H moves in unison witl the casing 13, and the engagement therewith of the gears will not cause it to work loose,

on account of the resilience of the washer, located between the bolt head and casing and engaged with the latter, which is suflicient to overcome any torsional stress upon the bolt occasioned by the rotation of the gears,

by creating a strain or pressure between the head of the bolt and the threaded part of the casing in which the end of the same is entered, being thereby locked in the hinge :and exerting a pressure of the casing on opposite s1des of the gears.

account of the resilience of the washers, lo-

cated between the screw heads and casing and engaged with the latter, which is suliicient to overcome any torsional stress upon the screws occasioned by the rotation of the casing, by creating a strain or pressure between the heads of the screws and the threaded parts of the gears in which the ends of the same are entered, being thereby locked in the hinge. In each instance, the screw and bolt heads serve to hold the hinge members under friction to retard the movement thereof, the threaded portions of the 1 bolt and screws serve to adjust the degree of friction, and the washers, which are locked or rigidly held to the hinge, serve to provide means to afford a positive resistance or obstacle to, and to prevent, the adjusting screw heads H being turned, or working loose, by the movement of the casing; and also to the adjusting bolt head C being turned, or working loose, by the movement of the gears, whereby, as stated, either section of the shield may be securely held in the adjusted position by the use of the said hinge alone.

Each rotary hinge member has an engaging peripheral edge, which edge is engaged by the casing with a positive friction pressure action exerted against each opposite and outer side portion of the face of the members, the degree or tension of the same being adjusted in the manner described. On account of the dual concave construction of the orifice of the casing, the said pressure is exerted in a series of radial lines located opposite each other and each running from the peiphery to the center of each hinge member.

lit will be noted that the axes of the gear members or sections, one of which at least is adapted to roll about the other, and those of the casing B, which is also movable around its axes, are concentric. Inasmuch as the casing incloses the said sections and lateral movement thereof as a whole is prevented by the inner edge of the flange thereof which is held by the casing and screws H so as to abut the said sections in cases where the recesses G and plugs G are not employedwhereby great solidity and strength is imparted to the deviceit is manifest that the desired friction between the casing and the sections must be produced by the yielding of the said concentric portions of the casingowing to the flexibility secured by the use of the saw cut bby the action of pressing the said concentric parts of the easin g and gears together by the pressure means comprising the screws H, at which points a greater amount of pressure is produced on the concentric portions of the side faces of the gears, or those adjacent to the axes thereof than at the outer parts or peripheries of the same. The dished washers 71 located in termediate the casing 13 and the heads of the screws H. and which serve to carry the pressure to the casing, are relatively movable so far as the said casing is concerned, but have, as stated, a fixed relation in respect tothe said pressure means, whereby the efficiency and durability of the structure is further enhanced and the parts are prevented from working loose.

It will be obvious to those who are familiar with such matters that many departures may be made from the specific construction and arrangement of parts shown above which discloses one form only in which the invention may be embodied) and yet the essential features of the invention be employed. I therefore do not limit myself to such details.

IVhat I claim as my invention, is

1. A hinge comprising a plurality of peripherally engaged hinge members formed with teeth on the outer edges thereof, a casing for the hinge members, and means for creating friction between the hinge members and the casing by a transverse pressure of the casing against the peripheral teeth of the hinge members.

2. A hinge comprising a plurality of peripherally engaged hinge members formed with teeth on the outer edges thereof, a casing for the hinge members, and means for creating friction between the hinge members and the casing by a transversepressure of the casing against the peripheral teeth of the hinge members, and means for exerting a lateral pressure of the casing on the side face of a hinge member.

3. In a device of the class described, a hinge comprising a plurality of members A and E formed with peripheral gear teeth, one at least being adapted to roll about the other, a separate support F for each member located at the inner portions of the gears, a common support and covering B for the said members having a flexible portion and located at the outer faces of the latter, the axes of the same being concentric with those of the hinge members, means comprising the abutting inner edge of the outer portion of the common support to prevent the latter from moving inwardly as an entirety, the said hinge members and the common support being so respectively constructed and arranged that the latter shall be capable of approaching the former under pressure at the axes thereof, and means comprising a bolt H to produce, by the yielding at the central part of the common support, a greater pressure of the same against the hinge members at the said concentric portions thereof than at the outer part or periphery of the same. whereby certainty of action and great solidity and strength of the device are secured.

4. In a device of the class described, a hinge comprising a plurality of members formed with peripheral gear teeth, one at least being adapted to roll about the other, a separate support for each member located at the inner portions of the gears, a common support and covering for the said members having a flexible portion and located at the outer faces of the latter, the axes of the same being concentric with those of the hinge members, means to prevent the common support from moving inwardly, as an entirety, the said hinge members and the common support being so respectively constructed and arranged that the latter shall be capable of approaching the former under pressure at the axes thereof, and means to produce, by the yielding at the central part of the common support, a greater pressure of the same against the hinge members at the said concentric portions thereof than at the outer part or periphery of the same, whereby certainty of action and great solidity and strength of the device are secured.

5. In a device of the class described, a hinge comprising a plurality of members formed with peripheral gear teeth, one at least being adapted to roll about the other, a separate support for each member located at the inner portions of the gears, a common support and covering for the said members having a flexible portion and located at the outer faces of the latter, the axes of the same being concentric with those of the hinge members, means to prevent the common support from moving inwardly as an entirety, the said hinge members and the common support being so respectively constructed and arranged that the latter shall be capable of approaching the former under pressure at the axes thereof, and means to produce, by the yielding at the central part of the common support, a greater pressure of the same against the hinge members at the said concentric portions thereof than at the outer part or periphery of the same, whereby certainty of action and great solidity and strength of the device are secured, in combination with means located intermediate the common support and pressure means and adapted in use to convey the pressure to the common support and to be relatively movable so far as the latter is concerned, but to have a fixed relation in respect to the said pressure means, whereby the parts are prevented from'working loose.

In testimony of the foregoing specification I do hereby sign the same in the city of New York, county of New York and State of New York, this 21st day of March, 1910.

IVILLIAM G. LE COMPTE.

Witnesses:

J. ODELL FOWLER, R013. GILMORE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O. 

